


The One Where They Go Undercover As A Couple

by Tkeyla



Series: Morticia's Halloween Treats [3]
Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Case Fic, Community: 1-million-words, First Time, M/M, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-27
Updated: 2013-10-27
Packaged: 2017-12-30 14:25:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tkeyla/pseuds/Tkeyla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a reward story for ClaireScott for her contribution to Morticia's Early Halloween Party. She said <i>A McDanno ficlet would be great. What do you think about a bit "Come into the bathtub"-porn?</i></p><p>There's a bathtub. There's porn. There's a plot. There's a crime to be solved. </p><p>There is no <i>ficlet.</i> There is a much-longer-than-I-intended story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Where They Go Undercover As A Couple

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ClaireScott](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireScott/gifts).



> Ficlet, ClaireScott said. Apparently I'm not good at following directions because this is clearly way past a ficlet! When I saw her prompt, I thought they need to be in a hotel with a fabulous bathtub. But why would they be in the same hotel room? Well, if they had to go undercover as a couple, they'd share a room.
> 
> And then this story happened. I hope you like it, ClaireScott.

“But sir,” Steve tried one last time.  
  
“No, Commander,” Governor Denning said, holding up his hand to forestall any further protests. “You have your orders. I suggest you get going. Your plane leaves in three hours.”  
  
“Yes sir,” Steve finally conceded.  
  
“I’ll see you when you get back.”  
  
Steve nodded absently, wondering how Danny was going to react to this assignment. Hopefully he wouldn’t take his predictable unhappiness out on Steve.  
  
“What’d he say?” Danny asked in greeting as Steve entered the main Five-0 office.  
  
“Everything okay, Boss?” Kono asked, watching Steve and his guarded expression.  
  
“Danny and I are going to Las Vegas,” Steve told them, thinking having Kono and Chin there would minimize the rant that was coming.  
  
“Las Vegas,” Danny repeated, knowing there was more to it.  
  
“Denning is friends with the governor of Nevada. There is a suspected serial killer targeting gay men,” Steve said, watching the storm clouds gather over Danny’s head.  
  
“We’re bait,” Danny said, his voice calm but his eyes betrayed his unhappiness at the news.  
  
Steve nodded, flinching in anticipation.  
  
“And you pointed out in excruciating detail that we are not, in fact, gay,” Danny said, the tone far too reasonable. This was not a good sign.  
  
“Yes,” Steve agreed. “I also pointed out that the chances of us being recognized, even in Vegas, were better than even.”  
  
“And what did he say?” Chin asked when Danny did not.  
  
“All the better,” Steve said. “Make us a more obvious target.”  
  
“In all of these Great United States of America there are only TWO members of law enforcement that could take this assignment,” Danny said, staring holes in Steve with the power of his unhappiness.  
  
“Denning thinks we stand the best chance of catching the killer _and_ surviving the encounter,” Steve said, repeating what Denning had said to him. He was still trying to convince himself that this wasn’t some punishment for bending one too many rules.  
  
“Uh huh,” Danny said.  
  
“We need to pack,” Steve said, nodding toward the main door. “Flight leaves in three hours.”  
  
“Swell,” Danny said. “Gives me less than two hours to pack, tell Grace, and pour out my milk which I just bought yesterday.”  
  
“I’ll buy you new milk when we get home,” Steve promised, propelling Danny toward the door, their on-going quarrel floating back to Chin and Kono who exchanged a look.  
  
“Think they’ll survive?” Kono asked Chin.  
  
“Each other or the killer?” Chin responded.  
  
“Oh – they’ll take out the killer. It’s surviving being alone together I worry about,” Kono clarified.  
  
“I give it a 50/50 chance,” Chin admitted, turning to the tech table to pull up the files on the case they had been investigating.  
  
~0~  
  
“I’ll pick you up in 45 minutes,” Steve said as he dropped Danny off at his apartment.  
  
“Right,” Danny said in resignation. “Denning deal with clearing our guns for the flight?”  
  
“He took care of it,” Steve confirmed. “Pack vacation clothes. Not work clothes.”  
  
“I have gone undercover once or twice before, Steven,” Danny said.  
  
“Oh, and a tuxedo. Then we can really draw attention in the casino,” Steve said.  
  
“So you can look like James Bond and I can look like a waiter. Swell,” Danny said closing the door so the conversation would be effectively ended.  
  
“Sorry,” Steve said, leaving in the Camaro much too rapidly.  
  
He knew Danny wasn’t happy about this surprise assignment, and he could understand it. Steve had serious reservations himself but mostly because it was going to be much harder to pretend that all he felt toward Danny was friendship while they were acting like a couple – for the assignment. Steve wished they were going to Vegas as a couple instead of doing it only for the job. But for all he could read Danny like the clichéd open book, any interest in Steve on Danny’s part remained shrouded in mystery. There were times when Steve was sure Danny felt the same way Steve did – that what they shared was a connection far deeper than friends and work partners. He’d catch Danny watching him, especially when they were with Grace. The affection on Danny’s face in those unguarded moments was startling. Then it would be gone, like the sun disappearing behind a cloud, making Steve believe he’d only imagined it.  
  
The constant accusations that they were an old married couple only confused Steve more. Danny never bristled over the comments, even making them himself from time to time. It gave Steve hope. He wanted to believe, but he thought Danny was probably right – he did have the emotional maturity of a GIJoe.  
  
He tried not to berate himself over his own inability to admit the depth of his feelings for Danny. It wasn’t for lack of certainty on his part, only the lack of knowing the sort of reception it would receive. Would Danny punch him again? Would he resign from Five-0? Would he, maybe, possibly, admit he felt the same?  
  
The risks were too great. Steve would continue to keep his secret. If he ever got a clear signal from Danny, he might broach the subject. Until then, he’d cherish every minute he got to spend with Danny.  
  
Precisely 40 minutes after dropping him off, Steve pulled up in front of Danny’s apartment, sprinting up the walk to let himself in. Danny was on the couch, talking to Grace on the phone. He waved Steve further in, sweeping the chair with his hand.  
  
“I’m not sure when I’ll be back, Monkey. But I will call you every day….I double pinky swear,” Danny said, laughing at her response. “Yes, Uncle Steve will make sure….Okay, baby. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Danno loves you.” Danny hung up, staring down at his phone before looking up to catch Steve’s gaze.  
  
“She upset?” Steve finally asked into the uneasy silence.  
  
“No, not really. I don’t have her this weekend so this job isn’t messing up our plans.”  
  
“That’s good at least,” Steve agreed, standing and grabbing the handle of Danny’s suitcase.  
  
“What? What’s with the smile?” Danny demanded, picking up his light backpack to follow Steve out. They paused for Danny to close and lock his door before going over to the Camaro.  
  
“Your jeans and tee shirt. You will look like a tourist,” Steve said, hoisting the suitcase into the trunk far too easily.  
  
“You always look like a tourist, when you aren’t looking like a beach bum,” Danny informed him, getting into the car.  
  
“A beach bum,” Steve repeated with a laugh. “I don’t think I look like a bum that much.”  
  
“Sure,” Danny said. “Whatever.”  
  
“Your idea of appropriate work attire is vastly different from anyone else in Hawaii,” Steve pointed out.  
  
“I like to look…oh never mind. You never listen anyway,” Danny said.  
  
“I do so listen. I don’t always do what you say but I listen,” Steve assured him, glancing over at him. He hoped he was hiding the hurt feelings that welled up unbidden at Danny’s words. Surely Danny knew he respected him enough to listen even when he’d prefer to ignore his ranting on all the ways Steve had failed to follow police procedure or failed to live up to other “normal” expectations because in Danny’s view Steve was miles from anything close to “normal.” He was trying to achieve “normal” and was getting ever close to it, thanks to the man sitting next to him.  
  
“…and then like always you pull that expression. Honestly, Steven, you aren’t seven.”  
  
“I don’t have a seven year-old’s expression,” Steve denied, hoping he hadn’t been caught not listening after assuring Danny he did.  
  
“You most certainly do,” Danny countered. “I know you listen to me. Mostly. When it’s convenient. And you aren’t cataloging the latest armaments you plan to order in your head.”  
  
“I’m going to order armaments in my head?” Steve asked, successfully sidetracking Danny.  
  
“Oh, well, excuse me, Grammar Guru. I did not mean to upset your delicate sensibilities, again.”  
  
“Grammar guru?” Steve echoed.  
  
“You know perfectly well that I meant you were cataloging _in your head_ the armaments you were planning to order.”  
  
“Huh,” Steve said as non-committal as possible.  
  
“Shut up. Why couldn’t you have taken Chin with you? Seriously? Why am I always stuck with you?”  
  
“You’re my partner?” Steve said, trying to hold back his laugh. “Anyway, it’s a free trip to Vegas. I know you want to play black jack and roulette.”  
  
“Yeah,” Danny had to agree. “I wonder how long we’ll have to stay?”  
  
“The reports said the killer tends to strike every six to ten days,” Steve said.  
  
“Does that seem odd to you?” Danny asked.  
  
“I don’t know. Why?”  
  
“That’s really often. It makes getting caught much more likely.”  
  
“Don’t most serial killers really want to be apprehended? And get a high from killing and eluding arrest?” Steve asked.  
  
“I guess so,” Danny said with a shrug. “Take me to the drop-off. I’ll check in our bags.”  
  
“All right,” Steve agreed, turning toward the terminal rather than parking. They stopped by the curb, taking out both suitcases, which Danny was able to surrender to a helpful porter as Steve drove away. Steve didn’t need to watch Danny in the rearview mirror as he drove to the parking lot but it didn’t seem to stop him.  
  
It didn’t take especially long for Steve to get the shuttle to the terminal, finding Danny just inside with two bottles of cold water.  
  
“We need gate 23C,” Danny said, studying the print out the Governor had provided Steve.  
  
“Right,” Steve agreed, going toward it.  
  
“First class tickets,” Danny said with an approving nod. “Nice.”  
  
“I figured it’d cut down on the amount of bitching you’d do,” Steve said, waiting in line at the security check-in.  
  
“Whatever,” Danny said, taking his badge from his pocket to show it to security. They waved them both through, not unfamiliar with the leader of Five-0 and his partner.  
  
“Commander, Detective,” an officer named Melo said as they went through the screening. “Going to Vegas, huh?”  
  
“We are,” Steve agreed. “Governor’s orders.”  
  
“Tough assignment,” Melo said with a nod as they gathered their backpacks from the conveyer belt and continued toward the gate.  
  
They waited for their flight to be called, Steve reining in his impatience. That Danny was talking non-stop helped. The sound of Danny’s voice was second only to the ocean in soothing any restlessness Steve might need to fight.  
  
“And then Grace said that this Chris boy wanted to be her partner for the science fair. But Chris has a reputation of doing none of the work and taking all the credit. So she told him no, that she had already agreed to be Marcy’s partner even though she hadn’t actually talked to Marcy but knew Marcy would agree.”  
  
“Is she still planning to count the sea turtle hatchlings?” Steve asked.  
  
“If you can get her onto the reserve, yeah. Did you call your friend about it?”  
  
“I did. He’s away for the next few days. The office said they’d get the message to him as soon as he’s back in cell phone range. Grace still has some time, right?”  
  
“They don’t have to turn in their topics until a couple weeks from now.”  
  
“Okay. We’ll know by then. Does she have a plan B just in case?”  
  
“I asked her that. Her answer was, and I quote, ‘I don’t need a plan B. Uncle Steve can do it. Uncle Steve can do anything.’ So it’s on you if you fail,” Danny warned.  
  
“No pressure,” Steve laughed.  
  
“Right,” Danny agreed, turning to look at Steve as he said.  
  
And there it was again. The open affection, the gleam of something _extra_ in his eyes, the way his tongue peeked out to moisten his bottom lip. Steve had to smile in response, Danny’s eyes sparkling even more.  
  
“What? What’s with the goofy smile?” Danny asked, his voice quieter than normal as though he didn’t want to risk being overheard.  
  
Steve shrugged, breaking eye contact before he could give away more than he meant to.  
  
“That’s our flight,” Danny said at the overhead announcement, shattering the moment.  
  
~0~  
  
“Nice digs,” Danny said with an appreciative whistle when they’d arrived in their suite. They had checked into the hotel where four of the victims had stayed before they were murdered.  
  
“Tell me again about the murders,” Steve said as he sat on one of the plush arm chairs in the sitting room portion of the suite.  
  
Danny took his laptop out of his backpack, pulling up the file. “The only known connections between the victims were that they were gay, on vacation, and had all purchased tickets for the Cirque du Soleil show at the Bellagio.”  
  
“Scantily clad acrobats suspended from the ceiling,” Steve said in resignation.  
  
“I’m not especially looking forward to it either but it’s not like we have a lot of choice,” Danny reminded him.  
  
“We’ll purchase tickets for the show at the end of the week,” Steve said.  
  
“Hopefully that will give us enough time to draw some attention to ourselves, so we’ll show up on the killer’s radar.”  
  
“Something to look forward to,” Steve said sarcastically.  
  
“You’ll get to beat him up for what he did. There have been eight victims, two of whom survived. The killer apparently got their information from the Bellagio box office. After the show, he followed them back to their hotels and shot them in the parking lot. The report says he lures them into a section of the lot with no camera.”  
  
“And there are no cameras that capture him arriving or stalking the victims?”  
  
“He wears a baseball cap and keeps his back to the cameras,” Danny said, turning the computer so Steve could see the grainy images for himself.  
  
“He knows where all the cameras are,” Steve said with a frown.  
  
“He does,” Danny agreed.  
  
“Did the survivors offer anything of help?” Steve asked.  
  
“One is in a coma and may never come out of it. The second suffered a concussion and doesn’t remember anything after he arrived in Vegas. He keeps asking why his husband hasn’t come to see him. Every time, they have to break the news, again, that his husband is dead.”  
  
“Sweet Jesus,” Steve said, shaking his head. “We need to get this bastard.”  
  
“We will,” Danny assured him, checking the time on his computer. “Let’s order the tickets for Cirque du Soleil then get some sleep.”  
  
“Yeah, okay,” Steve agreed, taking his personal credit card out of his pocket.  
  
Danny went to the site to order two tickets for the end of the week. He bought the most expensive tickets available, hoping that would attract the attention of the killer. “Okay. They’ll be at the box office,” he confirmed.  
  
“Good,” Steve said, standing to stretch. He went to the door of the bedroom, leaning against the doorjamb. “I’ll take the couch.”  
  
Danny joined him in the doorway, looking over at the king sized bed that dominated the bedroom. Danny gestured at the bed, shaking his head. “Don’t be ridiculous. The bed is big enough for you, me, Kono, and Chin.”  
  
“Yeah but…” Steve started. He stopped, refusing to meet Danny’s eyes.  
  
“What? Do you snore? Drool in your sleep? Afraid I’ll learn all your secrets?” Danny teased.  
  
“I don’t snore or drool. And I most definitely don’t talk in my sleep,” Steve assured him.  
  
“Come on, big guy. I know you can survive on zero hours of sleep but I need to recharge,” Danny said, grabbing Steve’s wrist to pull him into the bedroom. “You want a shower?”  
  
“Nah,” Steve said, putting his suitcase on the bed to take out his tee shirt and soft sleep pants. He hung up the garment bag with his tuxedo, accepting Danny’s to put in the closet as well. “You?”  
  
“I’ll wait to the morning,” Danny said, taking out his shirt and shorts. He rummaged around for his toothbrush, going into the huge bathroom. “Good God, Steve. Come look at this bathroom.”  
  
Steve went to the doorway, looking over at Danny on the other side of the marble floored bathroom. “It’s bigger than all of Five-0,” Steve said in amazement.  
  
“I’m sorry. I can’t hear you from this far away,” Danny said. “Did you see this bathtub?”  
  
Steve crossed over to it, gazing down in its depths. It looked deeper than most pools, three deep steps leading down to the bottom. It was large enough to accommodate four grown men, Jacuzzi jets every foot around the bottom. “I won’t have to leave the room to swim.”  
  
“That’s the truth,” Danny said, shaking his head.  
  
Steve met his gaze this time when Danny looked up at him. He was standing close enough to Danny to feel his body heat warming his right side. It was dangerous to be in such close proximity to him but he couldn’t make his feet move away.  
  
“The real pool is on the bottom floor,” Danny said quietly, reluctant to break whatever mood they had created.  
  
“Yeah,” Steve said. “I’ll try not to wake you in the morning when I go swimming.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny said, looking up at him.  
  
“Well,” Steve said, giving himself a mental shake. “I’ll leave you to change.”  
  
“Right, right,” Danny said.  
  
Steve thought maybe it was a good sign that Danny seemed as reluctant as he did to end their _moment_ , if it really was anything other than semi-awkward conversation.  
  
Steve retreated to the bedroom, quickly trading his clothes for his tee shirt and sleep pants. He was under the covers when Danny emerged, looking ruffled and delicious. Taking off his tee shirt had mussed his hair, which Steve wanted to run his fingers through to make even more unruly.  
  
Steve looked away, afraid of getting caught with the admiration he could feel he was projecting. He stared down at the murder-mystery he was pretending to read as Danny climbed into bed.  
  
“Is that book any good?” Danny asked as he lay down, looking up at the ceiling.  
  
“Entirely unrealistic,” Steve said.  
  
“So many of them are,” Danny agreed.  
  
“Will the light bother you if I read a little longer?”  
  
“Babe, an earthquake wouldn’t bother me,” Danny said, turning on his side so his back was to Steve.  
  
“That doesn’t even make sense,” Steve said, laughing at him.  
  
Danny waved his right hand in reply before tucking it under the pillow.  
  
Steve turned his entire focus back to his book. At least, that’s what he told himself, repeatedly. He was not focusing on the warmth of Danny’s body or the soft snuffling sounds Danny was making. And there was absolutely no way he was thinking about how much he wanted to curl his body around the smaller one, fitting his legs to the shorter legs, his chest to the broad back. He never once considered the fact that if he was spooning with Danny, his groin would be in direct, delicious contact with Danny’s tempting, round, perfect ass. Nope – never entered his mind.  
  
With a frustrated sigh, Steve gave up the pretense of reading and switched off the light. He turned his back to Danny, making himself relax. He needed to sleep, not contemplate how much he wanted to turn over and fit himself to Danny’s sleep warmed body.  
  
~0~  
  
Steve returned upstairs with a shirt and shorts over his wet trunks, satisfactorily tired and refreshed from his swim. Danny wasn’t in the sitting room or the bedroom. He’d expected to find Danny still asleep. He’d barely stirred when Steve eased out of bed earlier.  
  
The door to the bathroom stood open so Steve gathered fresh clothes to take with him, intending to put them on after a shower. He figured Danny had gone to the restaurant for breakfast or at least some coffee while he waited for Steve to come down.  
  
Steve stopped when he entered the bathroom. Danny was lounging in the tub, the jets humming as they created a froth from the water. Danny’s head was leaning against the edge, cushioned by a thick towel.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Steve mumbled. He was _not_ looking at Danny’s bare body that was mostly visible within the bubbly water. He did _not_ notice that the blond hair that covered most of his skin was darker than normal. He would _not_ admit that Danny barely took up a fourth of the tub and there was plenty of room for…someone else.  
  
“Oh, hey babe,” Danny said with a lazy smile. “I didn’t hear you come back.”  
  
“I noticed,” Steve said. “I’ll…leave you…to, you know, uhm, finish your bath…alone…by yourself… in the tub.”  
  
“What are you going on about?” Danny asked, looking up at him. “I’ll get out so you can shower.” Danny drew up his knees, putting his palms on the edge of the tub.  
  
“No, no. I’ll wait for you, until you’re done,” Steve said, backing up. “Let me know…you know… when you’re done. Then I’ll take a shower once you’re ready.”  
  
“Ready for what?” Danny asked. His expression was beginning to become worried which Steve could understand. He really wasn’t making sense.  
  
“I’m going to call Chin,” Steve finally said, retreating from the bathroom for the safety of the bedroom. He made sure he closed the door to avoid being able to watch Danny leave the tub.  
  
He sat on the chair in the bedroom, reaching for his phone. Only then did he realize it was 5:14 in Honolulu. Chin wouldn’t be in yet and he wasn’t going to wake him up to justify fleeing the bathroom. He didn’t have a voicemail so couldn’t use that as an excuse either.  
  
He looked over at the door as it opened so Danny could enter the bedroom.  
  
“You reach Chin?” Danny asked, clearly laughing at him. He was dressed in jeans and a bright blue polo, one Steve had never seen on him before. It was perfect for making his eyes even bluer, which hardly seemed possible, or fair for that matter. Definitely not good for Steve’s heart rate.  
  
“It’s 5:15 at home,” Steve admitted.  
  
“Yeah, I know,” Danny said, folding his sleepwear to place them in the dresser. “Go take a shower. I need coffee.”  
  
“Okay,” Steve agreed, picking up the clothes he’d gathered earlier.  
  
“You okay, babe?” Danny asked, standing just a little too close to him. The lingering warmth from his bath was enticing and made Steve’s arms twitch in an effort not to pull the smaller body tight against his.  
  
“I’m good,” Steve said, easing toward the bathroom. “I’ll be out in just a minute.”  
  
“This isn’t your water. You can shower for longer than three minutes,” Danny laughed. His smirk was cut off when Steve closed the door, momentarily leaning against it.  
  
He had to get himself under control. This assignment could not have come at a worse time. His desire to tell Danny the truth was bubbling in his blood. How long was he going to be able to pretend to be Danny’s _partner_ before he inadvertently blurted out the truth? No, he was not going to let his possibly unwelcome and inappropriate feelings interfere with the job they had to do. And he couldn’t contemplate what would happen if Danny decided he couldn’t work with someone who had those types of unreciprocated feelings.  
  
Steve lingered in the shower for five minutes, turning the water cool before leaving. No way could he jerk off with Danny waiting for him. The cool water helped turn down his internal temperature.  
  
By the time he was dressed and had brushed his teeth, he was ready to face Danny without the blood rushing to his face. Or worse, rushing south to harden his erection, again.  
  
“You ready?” Danny asked when Steve emerged from the bathroom.  
  
“I am. What should we do after we eat?”  
  
“We need to spend some time in this casino,” Danny said, checking the notes from their case file. “Then we should hit a couple of others, including having lunch somewhere conspicuous.”  
  
“Is the Hard Rock Café public enough?” Steve asked, looking over Danny’s shoulder to see the computer.  
  
“I think so,” Danny said. “I need a gift for Grace. There are several Disney Stores here so we can visit them.”  
  
“Good idea,” Steve agreed. “We should get something for Chin and Kono too. The more time we spend out and about the better, right?”  
  
“Absolutely,” Danny said, standing up and making sure he had his room key. “Let’s go eat and pretend we are hopelessly in love.”  
  
“Roger that,” Steve agreed, taking a deep breath and following Danny out. He wished it was going to be pretense on his part. He was in so much trouble.  
  
They made their way down to the opulent restaurant, requesting a booth for two. Steve made sure to stand close to Danny, projecting an unmistakable air of “we’re together” which came too easily to him. The way-too-beautiful hostess led them to a secluded table in a rounded booth, assuring them the waitress would be there shortly.  
  
“Thank you,” Danny said, scooting a little closer to Steve and leaning against him to look at the menu he was holding. “What looks good, babe?”  
  
Steve cleared his throat and turned back to look at the listing instead of staring at Danny. _You_ would hardly be an appropriate answer but it was severely tempting to say it. “Mmm… maybe this fruit and granola.”  
  
“Oh babe,” Danny laughed, looking at Steve with a convincing light in his eyes. “We’re on vacation. We need to live a little.”  
  
“Right,” Steve agreed, leaning closer to Danny to show him the list of pancakes.  
  
“They have Belgian waffles. I know those are your favorite,” Danny said.  
  
“They are,” Steve said, studying the choices. “With strawberries.”  
  
“Yum,” Danny said.  
  
“You?” Steve asked. “You going for the waffles?”  
  
Danny didn’t have a chance to answer as the waitress came to their table, smiling at them. “Gentlemen,” she said. “Welcome to Las Vegas.”  
  
“Thank you,” Steve said for them both.  
  
“Is this your first visit?” she asked.  
  
“It’s mine,” Steve said.  
  
“Not mine,” Danny said. “I love visiting and finally talked him into coming. Isn’t that right, babe?”  
  
“I’m only here because you promised you’d make it worth it for me,” Steve said, winking at Danny.  
  
“I’m glad you decided to come, both of you. What can I get for you?”  
  
They ordered their meals, Danny requesting plenty of hot coffee. She promised to bring them a carafe, Danny thinking that was an excellent idea.  
  
“See anything suspicious?” Steve asked Danny as they pretended to talk about their plans for the day, their voices low and their heads close together.  
  
“Nothing yet,” Danny said, laughing and making Steve smile. “How much can we gamble away?”  
  
“He gave me $500 but would appreciate it if we didn’t lose all of it,” Steve said. “He wants us to attract the right attention and understands we have to fit in and stand out.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny said. “What do you want to do first?”  
  
“You can decide. I’ll follow you around and be your good luck charm.”  
  
“More like the albatross around my neck,” Danny teased.  
  
“Uh huh,” Steve said, smiling up at the waitress. “Thank you.”  
  
“You are very welcome,” she said as she gave them two mugs of coffee and the carafe she assured them would be refilled whenever they needed.  
  
They spent the time they were waiting acting as much like a couple as they could, not that it was any burden on either of them. Steve relaxed into the “act,” continually reminding himself that the looks and touches Danny was sharing with him were part of their cover and meant nothing more than that.  
  
When they had finished eating and Danny had had enough coffee, they left the restaurant for the casino. Steve was momentarily overwhelmed with the dim lights and the cacophony of noise. He didn’t feel endangered but it was not a comfortable environment for him.  
  
“I know this is as far from your natural habitat as we could get,” Danny said, laughing up at him, his expression amused and affectionate. “We’ll gamble for two hours then we’ll go outside so you can breathe.”  
  
“I’m fine, babe,” Steve said, putting his hand on the small of Danny’s back. It was to reinforce their act as well as serving to anchor Steve amidst the unfamiliar sights and sounds.  
  
“Roulette?” Danny asked as they approached it.  
  
“We need chips,” Steve said. “Wait right here. I’ll get you some.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny agreed. “Don’t take too long.”  
  
Steve smiled and turned toward the cashiers, purchasing a couple of hundred dollars of chips which he hoped was enough to at least start. He wasn’t sure the governor had allocated enough to them. If they spent more than the $500, Steve would request reimbursement. Well, Danny would fill out the form which Steve would sign and pretend he’d completed.  
  
“Here you go,” Steve said when he returned, giving Danny the chips. “Have a good time.”  
  
“I will,” Danny agreed with a warm smile. Danny turned to study the action, smiling at the others gathered around the table. After he’d watched long enough, he placed his bet, turning to smile up at Steve. “I’ll win enough for that Porsche you’ve always wanted.”  
  
“I’ll even let you drive,” Steve said with a laugh, watching the wheel spin.  
  
“That’s very gracious of you. I know how hard that will be for you,” Danny said, leaning back against him so Steve was actually supporting some of his weight.  
  
Steve welcomed the contact but also wanted to run from it. It was brutal to pretend to have what he wanted but was not truly his.  
  
“There we go,” Danny cheered when his number won. “Let it ride?” he asked up to Steve.  
  
“Sure,” Steve agreed, wrapping one arm around Danny’s waist as they waited for the next outcome of the wheel. Incredibly, Danny won again, deciding with that his luck was bound to change.  
  
“Let’s try something new,” Danny said, giving Steve the chips. Steve naturally accepted them, going with him to a blackjack table. “You try this, babe. You’re better at it than I am.”  
  
“All right,” Steve agreed, nodding to the dealer. “May I join in?”  
  
“Certainly sir,” the dealer agreed, gesturing to an empty seat. Steve took it, Danny standing just behind him. The dealer told him the buy-in, Steve putting it in the designated area and accepting two cards. After checking the hidden one, he requested a third. The others at the table made their decisions, Steve waiting for them to be done.  
  
When the cards were revealed, Steve had won the entire amount. “Stay or go?” he asked Danny who was smiling at him.  
  
“Up to you, love. You know what you’re doing.”  
  
“Do you want to play slots while I’m here?” Steve asked.  
  
“No way. I’m your good luck charm,” Danny reminded him.  
  
“That’s the truth,” Steve agreed, turning back to the table. His luck in the second game wasn’t as good and he lost several dollars. The next hand he won them back plus some. He played three more hands, winning three times what it had cost him to buy in.  
  
“Good job,” Danny cheered. “We’ll get you that Porsche before long.”  
  
“It has to be black, like our Camaro,” Steve said as they went to the next game Danny wanted to try.  
  
“Whatever you want,” Danny promised, turning his attention to the game.  
  
Steve divided his attention between Danny’s gambling and the others he could easily see on the casino floor. He didn’t notice anyone that seemed out of place, no suspicious lurkers peering around potted plants. Well, they hadn’t been there for even 12 hours yet. Unfortunately, the killer wasn’t going to walk up and introduce himself.  
  
After the two hours had elapsed, Danny left the casino with Steve, ready for some fresh air himself. “I like to gamble but I don’t know how anyone can do it for hours and hours.”  
  
“I don’t know,” Steve confirmed, looking up and down the street. “Which way is the Disney Store?”  
  
“Three blocks down,” Danny said, pointing in the appropriate direction.  
  
“Okay,” Steve said. “I’m going to call Chin to check in.”  
  
“Sure. I need some water. You want one?” he asked as they approached a tiny store that sold Vegas trinkets and cold water.  
  
“Yeah,” Steve agreed, waiting as Chin answered.  
  
“Hey boss,” Chin laughed.  
  
“What’s going on?” Steve asked.  
  
Chin filled him in on the very little they had missed, no news about the Vegas killer. They had already gotten all the files from the Vegas PD and there had been no signs of the killer since the last murder.  
  
“All right. Give us a call if anything comes up,” Steve said unnecessarily.  
  
“We will,” Chin agreed, hanging up.  
  
“You want to walk?” Steve asked, looking up and down the street. “Or wait for the shuttle?”  
  
“We can walk. It’s only three blocks,” Danny said, turning the right way, Steve easily keeping up.  
  
~0~  
  
They spent too long in the Disney Store, trying to decide which of the Vegas items Grace would like the best. They finally bought her three presents because the Minnie dressed like the MGM lion was too cute to resist.  
  
“She’s not too old for Minnie, right?” Steve asked as they paid for the items. He accepted the bags to carry them out, stopping on the sidewalk.  
  
“No one is too old for Minnie,” Danny assured him. “I’m hungry.”  
  
“Me too,” Steve agreed, heading back toward their hotel. “The Hard Rock is right next door, right?”  
  
“It is,” Danny said, walking with him in the right direction. “Are we being followed?”  
  
“No,” Steve said, trying not to sound disappointed that they weren’t being stalked. “This is a long shot at best.”  
  
“Yeah,” Danny agreed. “Just because we’re bait doesn’t mean he’s actively fishing.”  
  
“Precisely,” Steve said.  
  
“How long are we supposed to stay if we aren’t killed?” Danny asked.  
  
“I have no idea. I didn’t think to ask,” Steve admitted. “I’ll email the governor when we’re back in the room.”  
  
“You could email from your phone, goof.”  
  
“It’s not as secure as my laptop,” Steve said.  
  
“Not the most onerous undercover gig I’ve ever had,” Danny assured him.  
  
“Onerous?” Steve laughed, opening the door to the restaurant.  
  
“Shut up. Just because you don’t know what it means doesn’t mean I shouldn’t use it.”  
  
“I do know what it means. I don’t know anyone who ever uses it in conversation. Is it from your word of the day calendar?” Steve asked. They were in line behind another couple waiting for the return of the hostess.  
  
“You know perfectly well I don’t have a word of the day calendar.”  
  
“You don’t need one,” Steve agreed. “You use the strangest words already.”  
  
“They aren’t strange. They are perfectly good words. We can’t all get away with grunting like you.”  
  
“What?” Steve laughed. “What are you talking about? I don’t grunt.”  
  
“There are times, my friend, when all you do is grunt. I wonder if you weren’t raised by wolves. Your social skills indicate that you were. Mammal to mammal communication. I’ve told you before you need to master it.”  
  
“I do so talk when you give me the chance. You talk enough for us both,” Steve told him. He had to smile when the older man and woman in front of them turned to smile at them.  
  
“We were just like the two of you when we were younger,” the woman said, laying a warm hand on Danny’s arm. “How long have you been together?”  
  
“Almost three years,” Danny was pleased to tell her. “I hope it will be thirty, providing I don’t kill him first.”  
  
“Oh my dear,” she said, shaking her head. “You would be lost without him. That much is clear.”  
  
“I can’t dispute that,” Danny agreed, smiling up at Steve. “He is my anchor.”  
  
“As it should be,” the woman said. “Two such handsome men.”  
  
“Thank you,” Steve said.  
  
“I think you’ve embarrassed them enough for now, Mildred,” the man said. He was smiling at his wife, clearly used to her conversations with strangers.  
  
“We aren’t embarrassed,” Danny assured them both. “We’re flattered.”  
  
“Give her enough time and she will embarrass you,” the man said in a conspiratorial whisper.  
  
“Mason,” Mildred scolded in good humor. “You say the most outrageous things.”  
  
“All true, dear. All true,” Mason told her.  
  
“Where are you boys from?” Mildred asked.  
  
“Hawaii,” Steve said.  
  
“Such a beautiful place,” she said with a nod.  
  
“It is,” Danny agreed. “You?”  
  
“We actually live here,” Mildred said. “Have all our lives. It certainly has changed.”  
  
“I can only imagine,” Danny said.  
  
“We’re meeting our granddaughter her,” Mason said proudly. “She works in the office of one of the casinos.”  
  
“That’s lovely,” Steve said.  
  
“Do you have children?” Mildred asked.  
  
“I have a daughter,” Danny said. “Fortunately she didn’t inherit any of his whacko genes.”  
  
“Whacko genes?” Mildred asked.  
  
“I know he looks normal,” Danny confided in her. “But he totally isn’t.”  
  
Mildred turned her laughing eyes to Steve who could only shrug. “As long as you know and don’t mind.”  
  
“I do and I don’t,” Danny assured her, smiling up at Steve.  
  
“I’m sorry for the wait,” the hostess said when she rushed up to her station. “Thank you for your patience.”  
  
“It’s fine, dear. Sarah isn’t here yet,” Mason told the woman.  
  
“All right,” she said with a relieved nod. “Are you two waiting for anyone?”  
  
“It’s just us,” Steve said.  
  
“I have a table for two,” she confirmed, taking two menus. “If you’ll follow me.”  
  
“It was lovely meeting you,” Steve said to Mildred and Mason before they followed the hostess to the table.  
  
“What do you want to do after we eat?” Danny asked as they perused the menus.  
  
“We need to email Denning. Then I guess we should go back to the casino,” Steve said.  
  
“The one here or a new one?” Danny asked.  
  
“I have no idea,” Steve admitted. “What do you think?”  
  
“Let’s go back to the hotel casino. See if we can subtly attract some attention. Not that you have trouble attracting attention wherever you go,” Danny said casually.  
  
“What? What are you talking about?”  
  
“You and your James Bond looks,” Danny said. “You have to notice the stares. They follow you everywhere you go.”  
  
“You’ve gotten too much sun,” Steve informed him. “Besides which there are more than enough eyes that follow you.”  
  
“You’re the one who is sun-struck if you think they are looking at me, babe,” Danny said, a laugh in his voice.  
  
“Of course they are,” Steve said, looking up at the waiter when he stopped by their table.  
  
“Hi,” he said looking at Steve then Danny before looking back at Steve. He swallowed, averting his eyes abruptly to look at his pad. “What can I get you to drink?”  
  
“I’ll have a beer,” Steve said. “Babe?”  
  
“Yeah. Beer sounds good,” Danny agreed, the laughter still in his voice.  
  
“Bottle or draft?” the waiter asked, barely glancing up at them.  
  
“Bottle,” Steve said, Danny nodding.  
  
“Very good,” the waiter said, turning to get their drinks.  
  
“Did you see, Danno?” Steve asked. “He couldn’t look at you without blushing.”  
  
“That’s you,” Danny corrected. “What do you want for lunch?”  
  
“Mmm…” Steve said, studying the menu again. He knew _you_ was not an acceptable answer as much as he wanted to say it. “This salad I think.”  
  
“Yeah. That sounds good,” Danny agreed. “Let’s get these stuffed shrimp as an appetizer. We can tell Kamekona to add them to his menu if they’re any good.”  
  
“Where would he get the crab meat?” Steve asked.  
  
“Same place he gets the shrimp, I guess,” Danny said with a shrug. They looked up at the waiter who had returned with their beer and two glasses of water. He took their order, managing to look them each in the eye, lingering a moment too long.  
  
“See. He’d have you for dessert if he could,” Steve said when he’d walked away.  
  
“You’d be his main course,” Danny said.  
  
“Stop,” Steve said, shaking his head.  
  
~0~  
  
When they had finished eating, they returned to their hotel room, Steve sending the email to Denning. He tried to make it clear that they were willing to do everything possible to catch the serial killer but it was not a sure thing by any means. How long did he expect them to stay?  
  
At Danny’s suggestion, Steve included a note that said they didn’t think $500 was going to be enough to attract the right sort of attention. Did they have his assurances that they would be reimbursed if they went over budget?  
  
Once it had been sent, they went back to the casino, Danny promising they’d leave after two hours. Steve said he’d be fine staying longer but was silently grateful for Danny’s understanding. He could tolerate the casino for as long as it took but Danny had been correct when he said it wasn’t Steve’s natural habitat.  
  
At any rate, they wanted to leave before the high rollers arrived. A helpful bar maid said the heavy action started each night around 9:00. She also was a wealth of information for other things they should do while in Vegas, including going to the all-male review that was performing nightly in a casino at the other end of the strip. She gave them a discount voucher for admittance and said they should tell the doorman Dolly sent them.  
  
They kept that information for their “possible suspect” list, agreeing that they would go to the review the next night.  
  
After spending two and a half hours and $350 in the casino, some of which they won back, they decided to call it a night. They stopped by the restaurant which gladly provided them two hamburgers with all the fixings to go. A quick stop by the bar for several beers, and they headed up to the room.  
  
They had an email from Denning which said that they were expected to stay for seven days unless their assignment concluded earlier. And yes if they needed to spend more than $500 to attract the right kind of attention, the state of Hawaii would reimburse them.  
  
They sent Chin and Kono a list of everything they had learned, knowing that any random piece of information could end up being the final key to unlock the puzzle. Maybe they would be able to solve the crimes without being victims themselves.  
  
They ate their burgers while arguing over a baseball game, not caring who won. They just naturally took opposite sides so they could fight over the game. Well before it was over, Steve decided he’d had enough excitement for one day and was going to bed.  
  
“Okay, babe. I’ll be there shortly,” Danny said, taking out his phone.  
  
Steve knew a phone call to Grace would be next and he closed the bedroom door to give Danny some time to himself.  
  
~0~  
  
Steve woke up suddenly, laying completely still until his heart rate slowed to something close to normal. He listened carefully, wondering what it was that had woken him. When Danny shifted next to him, he realized that it was Danny’s hand in the center of his chest that had disturbed his sleep.  
  
Not only was Danny’s hand spread out over Steve’s sternum, his body was touching Steve’s from shoulder to shin. And Steve liked it - a little too much for his mental health. He tried to ease out from under Danny’s hand but he grunted in his sleep, closing his fist in Steve’s shirt, effectively trapping Steve where he was.  
  
Steve could only lay in the dark and contemplate how close he was to everything he wanted – too close but still so very far away. It was torture - warm, delicious torture.  
  
Maybe Danny didn’t know who he was cuddling with. Maybe he thought Steve was someone else. That helped Steve settle it in his mind, right up until Danny said his name.  
  
“Steve,” Danny whispered in his sleep. “You…aren’t…no. It’s… what?”  
  
Was he fighting with Steve in his sleep? Goodness knows they spent most of their waking hours arguing, like over the baseball game in which neither of them had a stake.  
  
“Danny,” Steve finally said, looking at him in the dark.  
  
“Shh…” Danny said, still sound asleep. “It’s okay. You can sleep…sleep.”  
  
Steve was frozen in indecision. Should he leave the bed and risk waking Danny? Should he lay still to savor the nearness and warmth that was not really his?  
  
Danny snorted and woke, his eyes blinking open. “Oh,” he said, raising up on his elbow to look at Steve. “Hey.”  
  
“Hey,” Steve said, looking down at Danny’s hand still tangled in his tee shirt. “Were you having a bad dream?”  
  
“Yeah,” Danny said slowly, frowning in concentration. “Yeah, I was. I couldn’t find you. It was dark. I knew you were there but…” Danny shook his head, laying back on his pillow. “I’m sorry I woke you.”  
  
“You didn’t,” Steve said, wondering if he could move Danny’s hand. The other option was to put his over it, never letting Danny move away from him.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said. “Go back to sleep.”  
  
“You are bossy,” Steve said, making Danny huff out a laugh.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said, petting Steve’s chest. “Go to sleep anyway.”  
  
“Right,” Steve said, making himself relax. Sleep soon followed.  
  
~0~  
  
Steve went down for his swim in the morning, considering how last night’s sleep was the best he’d gotten in a really long time. He had no idea he was sleep deprived until he got a solid night’s rest. Having Danny in the bed next to him was apparently the sleep aid he’d needed even as he hadn’t be aware of it.  
  
As he swam his laps, he tried to decide what to do about the simmering desire he wasn’t sure he could contain with Danny in close proximity night and day. He should just tell Danny the truth. But would that ruin the most important friendship he’d ever had? Would Danny walk away and refuse to look back? Steve would be shattered if that happened.  
  
Deciding there were not enough laps in the universe to straighten out his tangled thoughts, he hoisted himself to the side of the pool, sitting on the edge to catch his breath. He had done more laps than he intended but swimming was often an escape when he could find relief no other way.  
  
When he made it back to the suite, it was again empty, the bathroom door standing open. He debated whether or not he should enter the bathroom when Danny’s voice decided for him.  
  
“Steve?”  
  
“Yeah,” Steve replied, going to the bathroom door. And there was Danny, in the tub, smiling up at him. “You love that tub, don’t you?”  
  
“How can you not?” Danny asked, gesturing to the wide expanse. “It’s…sinful.”  
  
“I can see that,” Steve agreed.  
  
“How many laps did you swim?” Danny asked, squinting up at him.  
  
Steve shrugged. Even if he knew, he wasn’t going to admit it to Danny.  
  
“Babe,” Danny said. “What’s going on in that scary brain of yours?”  
  
“Scary? How can you say my brain is scary? You’re the one that uses words like onerous in conversation.”  
  
“Steve,” Danny said, looking up at him, his expression open and warm. “Come here.”  
  
“That’s not such a good idea,” Steve admitted, slowly backing up.  
  
“Please,” Danny said, holding out a hand in invitation.  
  
“What?” Steve said as he reversed direction to tentatively approach. “What do you want?”  
  
“It’s not what I want. It’s what _we_ want,” Danny said. When Steve stood directly next to the tub, Danny reached up and with surprising strength, pulled Steve bodily down into the tub with him.  
  
“What?” Steve sputtered, shaking his head and making the water fly. “What are you doing?”  
  
“Something I should have done ages ago,” Danny said with an open, honest smile.  
  
“What is that? Kill me by pulling me into the bathtub?”  
  
“Nope,” Danny said. With that, he leaned closer and kissed Steve. _Kissed him_ kissed him. In a way there was no mistaking his intent.  
  
“Seriously?” Steve asked, trying hard not to let the hope overflow. “You’re serious?”  
  
“Steve,” Danny said, shaking his head. “We’ve danced around this forever. I’m tired of waiting for you. And unless I’ve lost all ability to see the evidence laid out in front of me, you want this as much as I do.”  
  
“More than you do,” Steve said softly. “I…thank you.”  
  
“You goof,” Danny said in affection. “I should have told you sooner but I wasn’t sure you were ready.”  
  
“What made you change your mind?” Steve asked. He decided he had permission to look and to touch and took advantage of it. He stroked Danny’s chest, feeling the hard muscles under the soft fur, down to his muscular legs, and back up, making Danny gasp softly.  
  
“Probably last night,” Danny said, concentrating on the words and not what Steve was doing. “When you didn’t move away from me.”  
  
“That was the best night’s sleep I’ve gotten in a very long time,” Steve told him.  
  
“That’s what I figured,” Danny said. “And since you weren’t going to admit how you felt, it left only one option.”  
  
“I’m glad you took it.”  
  
“Me too. You would have gotten there eventually but like I said, I was tired to waiting.”  
  
“Yeah,” Steve agreed, leaning down to kiss Danny, enjoying the flavors he knew would be there. The water around them was warm and bubbly but it felt like a barrier, impeding him in getting his fill of touching Danny now that he had permission. “What do you say we move this to land?”  
  
“To land,” Danny laughed. “Yeah. Then I’ll get to see all of you.”  
  
Steve left the tub as gracefully as possible, reaching down a hand for Danny. He hoisted Danny out, wrapping his arms around the smaller body. “Thank you,” he said as he kissed Danny soundly.  
  
Danny smiled up at him, a spark in his eyes. “Get me a towel. And take off your clothes.”  
  
“Bossy,” Steve said, reaching behind him for a thick towel. As Danny used it to dry off, Steve stripped out of his water-logged shirt and shorts, toweling his skin.  
  
“Better,” Danny said in approval, tossing the towel onto the floor and grabbing Steve’s hand to pull him into the bedroom. He kept going until he was on the bed, coaxing Steve on it with him. “I guess we’ll need to stop at a drug store for supplies.”  
  
“I didn’t pack any,” Steve agreed, caressing Danny with his eyes. “Beautiful.”  
  
Danny laughed, leaning closer to kiss the words out of Steve’s mouth.  
  
“Do they have condoms and lube in the gift shop? It might help attract attention,” Steve said as Danny kissed down his neck. He stopped at Steve’s hard nipple, lightly biting it.  
  
“Stop thinking about the case for ten minutes,” Danny requested, licking the sting away.  
  
“Like I can think about anything but what you’re doing,” Steve admitted, running his fingers through Danny’s hair, because he finally could.  
  
“Stop thinking,” Danny tried, licking over Steve’s abs, his fingers tracing the lines in the muscles.  
  
“Have you ever been with a guy?” Steve asked, his breath coming in snatches.  
  
“No,” Danny said, sucking a mark into Steve’s chest. “You?”  
  
“Yes,” Steve said. “You don’t mind, do you?”  
  
“Mind? Why would I mind? You were a SEAL not a monk,” Danny said.  
  
“I’m still a SEAL.”  
  
“Why do you think at this moment that I care?” Danny asked, laughing up at him. “I’m trying to have my way with you and you want to remind me that you are in the Navy. Still.”  
  
Steve shrugged, pulling Danny up so he could stop him from talking by capturing his lips and tongue. “I should have known you’d talk the whole time.”  
  
“One sure way to stop me,” Danny said, guiding Steve’s hand to his hard erection.  
  
“True,” Steve agreed, touching him for the first time. It felt like Danny’s erection was made to fit in Steve’s hand. It was perfect. “Are you going to reciprocate? Or do I have to do it myself?”  
  
Danny stopped kissing down Steve’s body to look up at him. “You are such a goof.”  
  
“That doesn’t answer my question,” Steve pointed out. But he didn’t mind. The kisses Danny was placing reverently all over Steve’s chest and stomach were almost enough to make him come all by themselves.  
  
Danny laughed, the air ruffling the curls at the base of Steve’s erection. Finally, finally, Danny wrapped his hand around Steve, Steve gasping at the contact. “Am I hurting you?” Danny asked, loosening his hold.  
  
“No, no. It’s… perfect,” Steve gasped.  
  
“Ahh….” Danny said, resuming with his caresses. “This would be easier with lube.”  
  
“It’s fine,” Steve panted. “Stop and I’ll shoot you.”  
  
“Threats. Idle threats,” Danny said, looking down at Steve’s hand that was stroking him.  
  
“What?” Steve asked, looking down at his own hand. “It’s not working?”  
  
“Of course it’s working,” Danny said, taking a deep breath to prevent his orgasm from coming right then. “I want to savor our first time.”  
  
Steve smiled at that, making his strokes lighter. “I see.” It didn’t help in the delay when he reached down to cup Danny’s warm balls. “What about now?”  
  
“Are you trying to kill me?” Danny asked, collapsing beside Steve. He raised his left leg so Steve could have greater access. “Dear God.”  
  
“Good huh?”  
  
“Less talk. More action,” Danny said. It could have been an order but sounded much more like a plea.  
  
Steve leaned over him, kissing his gasping mouth. Stroking several more times was all it took, Danny spilling over Steve’s fist. “Nice,” Steve said in approval, kissing him as he gasped for air.  
  
“I knew you’d be the death of me. I didn’t figure it’d be in bed,” Danny said. He was gazing up at Steve, his eyes slightly crossed.  
  
“What a way to go, huh?” Steve said, kissing him again.  
  
“Yeah,” Danny agreed, struggling to sit up. Once he was sure he had his equilibrium, he reached for Steve’s erection, smiling as he caressed it. “You’re close, huh?”  
  
“Very,” Steve confirmed, his hands full of the sheets beneath them. “Just like that.”  
  
“Mmm…” Danny hummed, watching Steve as his body shifted from the sensations. “You should be a much better dance.”  
  
“Huh?” Steve mumbled, trying to raise his head to see Danny’s face.  
  
“Never mind,” Danny said. He tightened his grasp ever-so-slightly, doing to Steve what he enjoyed doing to himself. His efforts were rewarded when Steve’s muscles stiffened right before he came. “Nice,” Danny said in approval, rubbing Steve’s come into his hard stomach.  
  
“So glad you approve,” Steve said breathlessly, pulling Danny on top of him.  
  
“What? What are you doing?” Danny tried to protest. But it was half-hearted at best.  
  
“Savoring. Like you said,” Steve said, wrapping his mile long arms around Danny’s pliant body. “Mmm…”  
  
“Exactly,” Danny agreed, laying his head on Steve’s shoulder. He kissed Steve’s neck because it was right there and he couldn’t resist.  
  
“What will Grace say?” Steve asked.  
  
“It’s about time,” Danny said.  
  
“Really?” Steve asked, rubbing Danny’s back and letting the blond hair tickle his palms.  
  
“She asked me why we weren’t dating. We’re best friends and act like we’re already married.”  
  
“I knew she was smarter than the average bear,” Steve said.  
  
“She’s my daughter. How could she not be?”  
  
“That’s the truth,” Steve agreed, kissing Danny’s head. “I guess we need to take a shower and get something to eat.”  
  
“In a minute,” Danny said, kissing his way over to Steve’s mouth. He tried to consume Steve, plundering his mouth to chase every flavor he could find. “Mmm…”  
  
Steve sighed in agreement, holding him tight.  
  
“I’m not going anywhere,” Danny told him with a laugh.  
  
“Just making sure,” Steve said, kissing him again.  
  
~0~  
  
They finally bowed to the inevitable and left the warm cocoon they had created. After showering together, they went down to the restaurant for breakfast, surprised to discover it was only 9:30.  
  
The early hour allowed them to linger over coffee, talking about inconsequential topics, casually watching everyone else in the restaurant. No one stood out as suspicious. They couldn’t imagine how they were going to find a killer who was apparently invisible to everyone looking for him.  
  
When Danny decided he’d had enough coffee, they wandered into the casino, spending several hours trying subtly to be noticed. They didn’t know how successful they were but they couldn’t make it look like they wanted to stand out.  
  
They ended up winning several hundred dollars which was a pleasant surprise, not they were going to be allowed to keep it. But it did make it easier to continue to gamble.  
  
They decided to stop long enough to have lunch and go to the gift shop. They ate a quick lunch in the restaurant then went to the shop where they found a wide variety of condoms and lubricants to choose from.  
  
“I have no idea what I’m looking at,” Danny admitted, tilting his head to study the display.  
  
“It doesn’t make that much difference which ones we get,” Steve assured him. “These are the ones I’ve used in the past.”  
  
“And they’ll fit me?” Danny asked.  
  
“Of course. We’re pretty evenly matched.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny agreed. “And this regular lube?”  
  
“It’s condom safe,” Steve said.  
  
“I don’t suppose you can put them on the Five-0 credit card, huh?” Danny laughed as they went to the register.  
  
“I could. But we’d have to reimburse the state,” Steve told him. He smiled at the woman behind the counter. She was old enough to be their mother and had a warm, welcoming smile for them.  
  
“Hi,” she said up to them. “Is this everything?”  
  
“Babe?” Steve asked Danny.  
  
“What do you think of this shirt for Grace?” Danny asked, holding up a purple shirt with the hotel logo embroidered on it.  
  
“Nice. That the right size?” Steve asked.  
  
“It is,” Danny agreed, putting it on the counter.  
  
“You want one that matches?” Steve asked.  
  
“Not in purple,” Danny said.  
  
“We have them in blue, dear. They will bring out your eyes, not that you need any help with that,” the woman said, showing them the adult shirts.  
  
“Do you want it?” Steve asked Danny with an indulgent smile.  
  
“I don’t think so,” Danny decided. “Thank you anyway.”  
  
“You’re more than welcome,” she said, totaling up their purchases. Steve paid for them, leaving with a warm goodbye.  
  
“I’ll run these up,” Steve said. “Go lose some money.”  
  
“I didn’t lose this morning,” Danny pointed out.  
  
“True,” Steve agreed, pressing the elevator button. “Go lose some now.”  
  
“Whatever you say,” Danny said, standing on his toes to give Steve a quick kiss.  
  
Steve wondered if the change in their relationship was obvious to casual observers. Did their new status glow like the neon up and down the strip? Could passers-by see that they were now partners in their personal lives too? Would the number of times they were asked how long they’d been married increase now that they had admitted that being together was the right step for them?  
  
So many questions rolled through his mind as he went up the elevator, questions for which he had no ready answers. But he was looking forward to finding those answers, with Danny’s help.  
  
~0~  
  
When they decided they’d spent enough time in the casino, they had dinner before changing into fresh clothes. The all-male review Dolly had recommended started at 8:30 so they checked their email, Danny called Grace, then they went out onto the street to catch the free shuttle. They only had to wait for five minutes before the red and white stripped trolley stopped right in front of the hotel.  
  
“Gentleman,” the trolley driver said in greeting. She was a woman of middle-age, medium height, medium build, brown hair tied back in a ponytail. “Where are you two going this evening?”  
  
“Down the strip,” Steve said, giving her the name of the hotel where the review was performed.  
  
“Right,” she said. “The bump and grind show.”  
  
“I guess so,” Steve agreed, going further onto the trolley to sit next to Danny. He’d chosen one of the seats in the open air section, no roof and no windows. Further back, the trolley was much more like a regular bus with covered seats and windows that were up for the night.  
  
“How long will it take, do you think?” Danny asked, looking around at the other 10 or so passengers on the trolley.  
  
“No idea,” Steve admitted, watching the passing lights. “Not like it matters.”  
  
“Definitely not,” Danny agreed.  
  
“The number of light bulbs they go through in a week must be staggering,” Steve said, looking at the brightly illuminated signs on both sides of the street and down every alleyway.  
  
“No wonder they had to build the Hoover Dam, huh?” Danny joked, making Steve laugh.  
  
“I don’t think Vegas was the main reason.”  
  
“Maybe not,” Danny said. “I read that we can rent motorcycles a couple of blocks from the hotel. Let’s take one out tomorrow.”  
  
“Just one?” Steve laughed.  
  
“That’s all we need. I’ll even let you drive,” Danny promised, bumping shoulders with him.  
  
“Sounds like fun,” Steve agreed, smiling at Danny with his heart in his eyes now that he had permission.  
  
The trolley made a handful of stops before the driver announced that they had reached the end of the line. Steve and Danny left with thanks for her help.  
  
They went to the box office, giving the cashier the voucher and telling her that Dolly had sent them. The cashier gave them a bright smile and two tickets for the price of one.  
  
Once inside, they bought overpriced, watered down drinks, sitting at a table far enough away from the stage that they couldn’t become part of the show. It also provided an open view of the rest of the tables. They watched the other patrons, not seeing anyone that looked the least bit suspicious.  
  
The show started about 15 minutes after they’d arrived, the music too loud, the whistles even louder. Steve glanced over at Danny who was watching the three dancers with an unhappy expression.  
  
“Not your cup of tea?” Steve asked when he’d leaned close enough that he thought Danny could hear him.  
  
“None of them are as attractive as you are,” Danny said, still frowning.  
  
“Thanks,” Steve laughed. “I didn’t know it was a contest.”  
  
Danny shrugged, sipping his poor excuse for a drink. “How long do you think we need to stay?”  
  
“Until the end of this act. Then we’ll go.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny agreed. His utter disinterest in the dancers was reflected on his face. Steve thought it would be helpful if Danny pretended to be entertained but apparently Danny didn’t have it in him.  
  
They joined the rest of the audience in applauding the dancers when the act concluded before making their way back outside.  
  
“Sure am glad we got the tickets at a discount,” Danny said with a shake of his head.  
  
“Yeah. You want to start back toward the hotel? We can get the shuttle when it arrives.”  
  
“Sounds good,” Danny agreed, crossing the street with him. They passed two casinos, both garishly lit with enormous water fountains out front. “Maybe this is the real purpose of the Hoover Dam.”  
  
“Doubt it,” Steve said with a laugh, pointing at the shuttle that was just pulling up in front of the same hotel. “Just in time.”  
  
Danny led the way onto the shuttle, taking the same seats they’d occupied earlier.  
  
“Going back already?” the shuttle driver asked Steve as he made his way onto the trolley.  
  
“We decided we’d rather dance with each other,” Steve joked before going to sit next to Danny. When he was sharing the bench with him, Steve looked up to see the trolley driver studying them both in her mirror. She seemed to shake herself before pulling away from the curb.  
  
“What was that about?” Danny whispered to Steve.  
  
“No idea. Maybe she knows the dancers?”  
  
“Maybe,” Danny said before smiling at Steve. “So we’re going to dance when we get back to the hotel.”  
  
“If you want to call it that, yeah,” Steve agreed, making Danny laugh.  
  
~0~  
  
Steve didn’t bother going down to the pool the next morning. Now that he didn’t have to excise the sexual tension by himself, he could go directly to the bathtub to lounge in it with Danny.  
  
It didn’t take long for the tub to fill with enough water to cover them both, not that being submerged was even necessary. Steve sat with his back to the end, Danny fitting perfectly between his legs in front of him. Steve wrapped his arms around Danny’s chest, kissing his neck and shoulders. He swiped over Danny’s skin with his tongue, humming in contentment.  
  
“Why are you licking me, you goof?” Danny laughed.  
  
“You’re delicious. I can’t help it.”  
  
“Delicious. What kind of word is that to use?”  
  
Steve shrugged against his back, reaching up for the bar of fragrant soap. “I’m embarrassed to admit how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he said, raising a thick lather on his hands before transferring it to Danny’s skin. The bubbles gleamed from the golden skin beneath them, skittering over his body. Steve’s finger followed one bubble as it glided from Danny’s chest to the surface of the water. Steve kept going, burying his fingers in the golden brown curls at the base of Danny’s quickly hardening erection.  
  
“You probably wanted to do it for as long as I have,” Danny said, slipping a little further under the water so Steve could have even more access to his arousal. “Would you have finally told me?”  
  
“Eventually I wouldn’t have had any choice,” Steve admitted. He circled Danny’s erection beneath the water, using the left over soap to ease his strokes.  
  
“Eventually,” Danny said. His head fell back against Steve’s chest, his mouth open as he gasped lightly for air. The sensations Steve was stirring made thinking or breathing too much of an effort. The only thing that existed was the pleasure of his touch. “God that feels good.”  
  
“Yep,” Steve said, kissing his neck. The skin was stretched taut, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he continued to pant for air. “Do you think we can install one of these tubs in our house?”  
  
“Our house?” Danny said, his voice barely above a whisper.  
  
“Maybe on the ground floor,” Steve said, still stroking him and kissing him between the words. “Don’t know that the second floor could support the weight.”  
  
Danny straightened away from Steve, putting a hand over Steve’s to stop the wonderful movements. “ _Our_ house?” he said, looking over his shoulder at Steve’s open face.  
  
“It will be once you move in,” Steve said in certainty.  
  
“Babe,” Danny said. “You can’t do everything at super sonic speed.”  
  
“Not everything. But this we can. You want it too.”  
  
“Not the point,” Danny said. “We just became official. It’s a little early to set up house.”  
  
“Not early at all. It’s what I’ve wanted since you crashed at my place. I’d have kept you there if you wouldn’t have arrested me for false imprisonment.”  
  
Danny laughed at that, relaxing back against Steve. “Fine. I guess it’s inevitable.”  
  
“It is,” Steve agreed, resuming his strokes while watching Danny’s face reflect the pleasure that was surging through his veins. “You want to come like this? Covered in bubbles?”  
  
“Uhn,” Danny grunted, his body answering the question when his orgasm overtook him. Steve knew he’d have hand shaped bruises on his thighs were Danny had grabbed him as he came. And he was very much okay with that.  
  
“Nice,” Steve whispered into Danny’s damp hair as he tried to recover.  
  
“How about you?” Danny finally asked, shifting so he was facing Steve. “You are locked and loaded.”  
  
“Locked and loaded?” Steve repeated. “What is that?”  
  
“Army talk. I thought you’d appreciate it,” Danny teased. Steve’s retorts and corrections were short-circuited when Danny wrapped both fists around Steve’s erection. Steve decided right then and there that he didn’t care what Danny called it if he would just continue to touch him like that.  
  
“Oh man,” Steve breathed, shifting and making the water slosh over the side. “We’re making a mess.”  
  
“We’re about to make a bigger one,” Danny said, stroking him. He leaned closer to kiss Steve, taking away his remaining breath. “Mmm…”  
  
“Yeah,” Steve said, looking down at what Danny was doing. The sight of his erection briefly appearing then disappearing in Danny’s grasp was almost as arousing at the touch itself.  
  
“You going to show me what you got, sailor?” Danny coaxed, stroking him faster and firmer. He was rewarded with Steve’s groans and his incoherent babble before he erupted into the hot water surrounding them.  
  
“We need to shower,” Steve said with the little energy he had to expend for talking.  
  
“Totally,” Danny said. “Although I heard cum is good for soft skin.”  
  
“You did not,” Steve said, squinting open one eye to see if he was making it up.  
  
“You don’t know for sure,” Danny laughed. “Come on, big guy. Let’s take a shower so we can go out on a motorcycle.”  
  
“All right,” Steve agreed, carefully standing up. Danny turned off the jets and released the water before turning on the shower. They mopped up the worst of the water on the floor before getting into the shower.  
  
Clean, dry, and dressed, they went down for breakfast before taking the trolley to the motorcycle rental place. Steve produced his license that had the motorcycle endorsement on it, paying for the rental. They accepted the two motorcycle helmets because wearing them in Nevada was the law, and as Danny pointed out, they were officers of the law so refusing to wear them was not an option.  
  
“We aren’t Nevada officers,” Steve said as he fastened his helmet.  
  
“Doesn’t matter,” Danny said, following the clerk to the line of sleek motorcycles.  
  
“Here you are sirs,” the clerk said, pointing at a gleaming Harley Davidson Road King.  
  
“Nice,” Danny said in approval.  
  
“Powerful. Safe. Built for the open road,” the clerk said, giving Steve the key. “Have fun.”  
  
“We will,” Steve said, waiting as Danny settled on the passenger seat. Once he was ready, Steve got on, starting it up. The noise was awesome – powerful, rumbling, dangerous. They had rented headphones to wear, knowing it would be the only way to communicate while they were out.  
  
They spent the majority of the day riding the backroads of Nevada, no destination in mind. It was freeing to be away from their responsibilities, the possibility that they were being stalked by a serial killer, the fact that they were always on duty.  
  
The sun was starting its decent when they returned to the rental agency, stiffly dismounting and returning the equipment to the office.  
  
“Excellent ride,” Steve said to the new clerk on duty. “Thank you.”  
  
“Thank you for your patronage,” he said with a nod.  
  
They had to wait several minutes for the shuttle to come along but they didn’t mind. Standing up was a relief after sitting on the motorcycle the entire day.  
  
After taking a shower and putting on fresh clothes, they had dinner, debating about whether or not they should return to the casino. Their sense of responsibility finally won out, making them decide to spend a couple of hours gambling and then they would call it a night.  
  
Their luck turned on them and they ended up losing several hundred dollars. They consoled themselves privately that it wasn’t their money they had lost but they still felt somewhat guilty about it. Their losses, however, turned out to be a positive when it attracted the attention of the pit boss who invited them to the private game that would be held the next night.  
  
“It starts at 9:30. Come to the bar and tell Mona you are here at Jake’s invitation,” the boss instructed.  
  
“Right,” Steve agreed. “What’s the buy-in?”  
  
“A grand to start,” Jake said. “You can up it whenever you want.”  
  
“Got it,” Steve said, accepting the free drinks courtesy of Jake. Danny sipped his, waiting and watching.  
  
“See you gentlemen tomorrow evening,” Jake said when the final details were arranged.  
  
“Good night,” Danny said, going out with Steve. “What do you think?”  
  
“Feels a little off,” Steve acknowledged. “Maybe we’ll finally get closer to finding the killer.”  
  
“Then we can go home,” Danny said as they went up in the elevator.  
  
“I’m about ready,” Steve said.  
  
“Vegas is fine in small doses. But not knowing how long we’re going to be here is kind of tiring.”  
  
“It is,” Steve agreed, opening the door to their suite.  
  
“Where are we getting a couple thousand?” Danny asked.  
  
“Chin’s going to transfer it into my account,” Steve said. “Unless you want it in yours.”  
  
“I don’t need Rachel’s attorney questioning why I have a sudden influx of money that quickly went missing.”  
  
“Right,” Steve agreed with a laugh. He took their tuxedos out of the closet, studying them. “We should send these down to be pressed.”  
  
“Okay,” Danny said, calling the concierge who said someone would be up very shortly for them.  
  
Once the tuxedos were dispatched, they decided to call it a night. The motorcycle riding had taken it out of them and they were ready for some sleep.  
  
~0~  
  
They were ready by 9:15 the next night, Danny unable to tear his eyes away from Steve in his tuxedo.  
  
“Stop,” Steve laughed as he checked his shirt and tie one last time in the mirror.  
  
“How can I help but stare, Mr. Bond?”  
  
“Does that make you Moneypenny? Or are you my Bond girl for the night?” Steve asked, smiling over at him.  
  
“I’m the waiter. We all know that,” Danny said.  
  
“No way,” Steve said, straightening Danny’s tie and buttoning the top button. It didn’t entirely hide the hickey he’d carefully placed there earlier and he was very much okay with that. He would put a sign on Danny that said _TAKEN_ if he thought for one minute he could get away with it.  
  
“Stop. Stop with your hovering and your possessive behavior,” Danny complained but with no force behind the words.  
  
“Possessive behavior?” Steve repeated wondering how Danny knew what he was thinking. But then he often did so why was he surprised?  
  
“You can’t mark me any more obviously. You can’t put a sign on my that says _sold_.”  
  
“I was thinking _taken_ ,” Steve admitted.  
  
“You are a total goof,” Danny said in naked affection. “Come on, 007. Let’s go lose Hawaii’s money.”  
  
“Excellent idea,” Steve said, pulling a wad of money out of his pocket. “Here.” He peeled off several hundred dollar bills, giving them to Danny.  
  
“What am I going to do with these? We won’t be buying drinks.”  
  
“Doesn’t matter. You need to have them with you. Are you going to play at all?”  
  
“Not if it’s poker. As much as it pains me to admit it, I suck at poker,” Danny said.  
  
“That’s because you can’t stop talking long enough to play,” Steve teased, kissing him lightly before opening the door.  
  
“Can’t stop talking long enough,” Danny said, shaking his head. “I should stop talking to you. You’d be begging me to talk in ten minutes. You love the sound of my voice. I don’t know why…”  
  
Danny kept talking. Steve kept smiling. He’d never admit it, but the sound of Danny’s voice was _home_ to him.  
  
They went straight to the bar, aware of the eyes following them both. They garnered more than one whistle of appreciation, Steve assuring Danny that it was as much for him as it was Steve.  
  
“Okay,” Danny said, letting him believe it if that was what he wanted. Being with Steve when he was looking even more incredibly hot than usual made Danny feel more attractive, as though Steve’s amazing looks encompassed those around him.  
  
“Hi,” Steve said to the bartender. He was being all suave and charming as he leaned casually against the bar. “I’m looking for Mona.”  
  
“I’m Mona,” the bartender said, openly appraising the two of them. She was older than most of the bartenders they had encountered but still a woman who would attract more than her share of attention. “You must be the Hawaiians Jake told me to look for.”  
  
“How would you know that?” Steve asked, exuding sophistication in a way Danny could never achieve.  
  
“Described you to a tee,” she said with a wink. “Tall, dark, and dangerous. Short, blond, and grumpy.”  
  
“Grumpy, huh?” Danny asked with a charming smile of his own.  
  
“Better than Sneezy or Sleepy, right?” she asked with a light laugh.  
  
“Does that make you Snow White?” Danny asked her.  
  
“If that’s what you want, handsome,” she said. “Come on. I’ll take you to the parlor.”  
  
They followed her as she wove her way through the casino, nodding to the huge bouncer at the double doors. He opened them, letting them enter the much smaller, much quieter parlor.  
  
“I’ll leave you to it,” Mona said, winking at them again. “Stop by the bar on your way out. We can discuss the other dwarves.”  
  
“Looking forward to it,” Danny agreed with a smile. Once she’d left, he caught up with Steve who was talking to Jake. They were standing by a walnut bar, the bartender immediately asking Danny what he’d like. Danny ordered a scotch on the rocks, something his policeman salary usually prevented him from enjoying. The bartender gave him a glass of the good stuff, which Danny savored as he listened to the conversation between Jake and Steve.  
  
“The others will be here momentarily,” Jake was saying. “There will be eight players, from all walks of life.”  
  
“Do I need to give you the buy-in now?” Steve said.  
  
“If you like,” Jake said. He accepted a box of chips from the bartender, opening them as Steve took the money out of his pocket.  
  
“Exactly $1,000,” Steve said, handing it to Jake. He nodded, giving Steve the chips.  
  
“You won’t be playing?” Jake asked Danny.  
  
“Not tonight. I’ll let Steve win it all back,” Danny said.  
  
“Very good,” Jake said. “You won’t be the only observer. Several other players will have companions.”  
  
As he was explaining, three other people entered the parlor, two women who were dressed in lavish evening gowns and an older man in an immaculate tuxedo.  
  
“Hello,” Jake said in greeting. “This is Steve McGarrett and Danny Williams. I’d like to introduce Caitlin Turner, Rosalina Mattli, and Drew Abbot. Caitlin and Drew will be playing. Rosalina will be joining you in the galley, Mr. Williams.”  
  
Hand shakes were exchanged, pleasantries spoken, the social ritual repeated at the arrival of the other players and their companions. Danny and Rosalina were joined by Kelvin Hunter and Greta Bolen who were not playing but were interested in watching their spouses gamble.  
  
The game started shortly after 9:30, once Jake made sure everyone understood the rules and expectations. All the players agreed, taking a seat at the round table. Danny had an unobstructed view of Steve as he waited for the first hand to be dealt. Steve glanced up at just the right moment to see Danny watching him and responded with a wink.  
  
“He’s very attractive,” Greta said in a whisper to Danny.  
  
“I think so as well,” Danny responded. “Too bad he’s insane.”  
  
“Can’t have everything,” Greta laughed. “That one is mine,” she said, pointing to a man about the same age as Danny with long brown hair in a single braid down his back. “I’ve tried to talk him into getting an adult haircut but…well.”  
  
“We all have our burdens to bear,” Danny agreed.  
  
“How long have you been a policeman?” Greta asked him, glancing up to gauge his reaction.  
  
“Some days it feels like my whole life,” Danny admitted. “Am I that obvious?”  
  
“My father is a cop,” she said. “Steve, though….”  
  
“He’s a Navy SEAL,” Danny said. “He’s still adjusting to being a civilian policeman.”  
  
“I can understand,” she said. “Are you here about those awful murders?”  
  
“We are,” Danny agreed. “It’s hard to find a killer who seems to vanish into thin air.”  
  
“Just awful,” Greta said with a sad shake of her head.  
  
“Are you talking about that serial killer?” Kelvin asked as he returned to them with a fresh drink.  
  
“We were,” Greta agreed. “Danny was just saying that news of it had spread all the way to Hawaii.”  
  
“Any new theories?” Danny asked casually.  
  
“Is it true all the men were gay?” Rosalina asked with an unhappy frown.  
  
“That’s the reports I’ve seen,” Kelvin said. “Bad for tourism.”  
  
“Worse for the dead men and their families,” Greta said in disapproval.  
  
“Naturally, Greta. I didn’t mean to sound stone-hearted.”  
  
“But you are,” Rosalina told him with a laugh. Danny thought there was a hidden conversation going on which he didn’t need to understand.  
  
“Well, there is that,” Kelvin had to agree, laughing with her.  
  
“They weren’t doing anything wrong,” Rosalina said. “Why would anyone kill them like that?”  
  
“Serial killers have their own motivation,” Kelvin pointed out.  
  
“I read that they all went to Cirque du Soleil but don’t have anything else in common,” Greta said. Danny wanted to kiss her for bringing it up, making the chances of him learning anything much greater than it would otherwise would have been.  
  
“Several stayed here,” Rosalina said, shaking her head. “Dreadful. Just dreadful.”  
  
“And they have no suspects?” Danny asked.  
  
“None,” Greta said.  
  
“They must have done something similar besides going to that overpriced flesh show,” Kelvin said.  
  
“When did you become a prude?” Rosalina asked. “It’s a fine show with talented performers.”  
  
“It’s all so…overdone,” Kelvin said.  
  
“When was the last time you went to one of the shows?” Greta asked him.  
  
“Samantha knows better than to ask me to go,” Kelvin admitted.  
  
“You are a caveman,” Rosalina decided, patting Kelvin’s arm. “You’ll grow up one day.”  
  
“Not if I can avoid it,” Kelvin told her.  
  
“I did hear that several of the victims were seen on the strip earlier each day of the attacks,” Greta said. Her tone invited the other two to share information, making Danny hopeful.  
  
“That only makes sense,” Kelvin said. “One does not generally come to Vegas to remain in one’s room.”  
  
“There are times when that’s all you want to do,” Rosalina said with an adorable blush covering her cheeks.  
  
“You’re still a newlywed. That’s why you think that,” Greta said warmly.  
  
“You recently married?” Danny asked her.  
  
“A month ago,” she agreed.  
  
“Congratulations,” Danny said, looking over at the table. “Which one is yours?”  
  
“Drew,” she said, nodding toward him. “He’s sitting next to your partner.”  
  
“I see,” Danny said, glancing at the attractive man next to Steve. He wasn’t as handsome as Steve but as far as Danny was concerned, no one was.  
  
They chatted ideally about their partners, who belonged to whom, why they were there when they could be doing something else, and how long they thought the game would last. They did not discuss the serial killer again except in passing, not providing Danny with any useful information. He didn’t think the murders were tied to this private game but he couldn’t ignore any possible leads.  
  
It was well after midnight when the game finally began to break up. The players collected their chips, waiting patiently to redeem them with Jake. Danny joined Steve in the small line, checking out the number of chips he had remaining.  
  
“How’d you do in the game that you were playing until just now when you stopped?” Danny asked, silently counting up the chips in his head.  
  
“I came out ahead,” Steve said. “By about $800.”  
  
“Good job with the money and not losing all of it,” Danny said with an excessive number of nods. “I may be a little bit drunk from all the drinks they gave us to drink.”  
  
“I think you are,” Steve laughed, giving his chips to Jake in exchange for the money. “Thank you again for the invitation.”  
  
“You are welcome to return any time,” Jake told him with a firm handshake.  
  
“Thank you,” Steve said with a nod. He took Danny by the elbow when he started back toward the bar. “Where are you going? Door’s this way.”  
  
“I have to say goodnight to my new friends ‘cause it’d be rude not to say goodnight,” Danny told him. He reached up to kiss Greta, getting a lipstick mark on his cheek in exchange. “Good night, my dear.”  
  
“Good night, Danno. Take good care of him, Steve,” Greta said with a laugh.  
  
“I definitely will,” Steve confirmed, waiting as Danny kissed Rosalina and shook Kelvin’s hand.  
  
“Lunch tomorrow,” he said to the three of them. “Steve’s buying.”  
  
“We’ll see you then,” Greta agreed, kissing him again before gently turning him toward the door so Steve could escort him out.  
  
“We’re having lunch with them tomorrow?” Steve asked.  
  
“Uh huh. You’re buying. Lunch. For us and them. And their respective husbands and wives. Wife I mean. You played with them. You know them. You like them, right?” Danny asked as Steve steered him toward the elevator.  
  
“I do like them. I wasn’t expecting you to become BFFs with them,” Steve laughed.  
  
“Not BFFs. You’re my BFF forever and ever. They’re my new friends. They’re jealous ‘cause I get to go home with you. They want to. Go home. With you. But I’m the only one who gets to. Yay me.”  
  
“Yay me too,” Steve said, looking down at Danny with a sparkle of amusement in his eyes. “You’re going to regret accepting all those drinks in the morning.”  
  
“I’m not drinking in the morning,” Danny said in confusion. “Breakfast maybe. No drinking.”  
  
“Okay,” Steve said, opening the door to their suite. It was easier to agree with Danny than it was to attempt to explain what he really meant. “Take off your tuxedo.”  
  
“Uhn,” Danny grunted, sitting in one of the armchairs. “Too much trouble.”  
  
“You can’t sleep in it, Danno,” Steve said, kneeling in front of him to take off his shoes. That done, Steve slowly helped Danny out of his clothes until he was down to his shorts. He directed Danny into the bedroom, letting him tumble onto the bed. “Now you can sleep,” Steve said, pulling the covers over him.  
  
“C’mere, c’mere,” Danny said, gesturing him to come closer.  
  
“What?” Steve asked, sitting beside him. “Go to sleep.”  
  
“Sleep,” Danny nodded, grabbing hold of Steve’s jacket. “C’mere.”  
  
“I’m right here. Go to sleep,” Steve laughed.  
  
“In bed. You need to be in bed.”  
  
“I have take off my tuxedo then I will be.”  
  
“’Kay. That sounds right. ‘Kay,” Danny mumbled into his pillow. Steve untangled his hand, finally able to stand up, Danny not awake enough to protest.  
  
Steve quickly took off his tuxedo, getting his laptop to check his email. He had one from Chin, alerting him that someone had accessed his credit card information. Steve was relieved and concerned by the information – relieved that they were getting closer to finding the killer while still worried about the danger he and Danny could be facing.  
  
Steve acknowledged the message before checking his other emails, not finding anything of any importance contained in the rest. He put down his computer, curling around Danny’s body and falling instantly to sleep.  
  
~0~  
  
The next day they spent as much time as they could gambling, taking the shuttle in the early evening to the Bellagio. Steve had told Danny about his credit card information being accessed, Danny deciding they needed to have their guns with them. They would be going to the Cirque du Soleil that night and they were not going unarmed. They carefully hid their small guns, hoping that no one at the Bellagio would notice they were packing. They also put their badges in their pockets which would help prevent the Bellagio staff from confiscating their guns.  
  
After they lost a couple of hundred dollars gambling, they decided they’d made enough of an impression. Dinner was next on the agenda, a huge buffet featuring everything they could imagine wanting.  
  
“Have you ever seen this much food?” Danny asked Steve as they studied their choices.  
  
“Not in one place,” Steve said, trying to decide what to eat first. “I’m almost put off of eating because of all the choices.”  
  
“I know what you mean,” Danny agreed, going to the end of the line where a roast was being sliced by a short man in a tall hat. “I’d like some of what you’re serving.”  
  
“Certainly, sir,” the man said, giving Danny a slab of roast and pouring some sauce over it. “Any for you sir?” he asked Steve.  
  
“Thank you, no,” Steve decided, going to the next station for some chicken. It was relatively plain, no exotic sauces or stuffing that he could discern.  
  
They ate and watched the other diners, not seeing anyone that raised their suspicions. They knew waiting was an important part of police work but both agreed that it was tedious at best.  
  
They managed to fill up the time in the restaurant until the show was ready to begin. They collected their tickets and made their way to the seats which afforded them an excellent view of the staging areas, the one of the floor and the one much closer to the ceiling.  
  
“Grace wants to see one of these shows,” Danny told Steve while they were waiting for the lights to go down.  
  
“You sound excited by the idea,” Steve teased.  
  
“I don’t mind that she wants to see one. I don’t want her to think she can be _in_ one.”  
  
“She doesn’t take gymnastics. I think you’re safe,” Steve said.  
  
“I hope so,” Danny said, settling in when the lights went down.  
  
~0~  
  
“Well,” Danny said when the lights came back up. “That was…something.”  
  
“It was,” Steve said, tilting his head as he looked back over the stage. “I don’t have words to describe this experience.”  
  
“We don’t need words, babe,” Danny decided. “Let’s go back to the hotel and see if we can reenact parts of it.”  
  
“I didn’t bring my tie-dyed tights with me,” Steve said, standing to follow Danny out.  
  
“You wouldn’t have much of a chance to wear them. I plan to get you naked as soon as our door is closed.”  
  
“Even better,” Steve said. “Even if this wasn’t our kind of thing, it seems to have hit you in all the way I like best.”  
  
“All those bodies moving so sensually and getting tangled up with each other?” Danny said, looking over his shoulder at Steve. “You’d have to be dead for it not to get to you.”  
  
“And we are certainly not,” Steve agreed.  
  
They slowly made their way out to the street, the crowd dispersing. They waited on the sidewalk for a few minutes until the shuttle pulled up. It was full but neither of them minded standing up for the ride back to their hotel.  
  
By the time they finally arrived at the opposite end of the strip, they were the only ones left on the shuttle. Although they were a little surprised when the driver pulled into the parking lot instead of in front of the hotel, they didn’t remark on it. They did exchange a quick, questioning look.  
  
“Last stop, gentlemen,” the shuttle driver announced. It was the same woman that they had ridden with almost every day since they’d arrived. She had parked the shuttle in a section of the lot that was less well lit than most of the rest. “This is your hotel, isn’t it?”  
  
“It is,” Steve agreed, standing with Danny to go to the back steps. That plan was short-circuited when they caught the sparse lighting glinting off the gun the driver was holding.  
  
“This way,” she ordered, pointing her gun at first Steve then Danny. “Hurry up.”  
  
They raised their hands in surrender, leaving the shuttle down the front steps. She followed them out, herding them toward an even darker section of the parking lot.  
  
“You’re the serial killer,” Danny said, trying hard to sound frightened.  
  
“Shut up,” she snarled at him.  
  
“Why did you kill those men?” Steve asked. He was watching her very carefully, not failing to notice the small quaking of her hand as she pointed the gun at them. He was confident that he could close the four feet between them before she could shoot either of them.  
  
“I said shut up,” she said.  
  
“If we’re next, we’d like to know why,” Danny said reasonably.  
  
She stared at him, her gun pointing more directly at his chest. “Why? Why do you have to hook up together? Why can’t you leave any good looking men for me?”  
  
“You killed them because you were jealous?” Danny asked, sounding frightened and sad. At least he hoped he did. He couldn’t be entirely sure.  
  
“You could have chosen me instead,” she said. “I’m fun to be with.”  
  
“What’s your name?” Steve asked.  
  
“You don’t even know!” she shouted at him. “I told you three times but I’m just a shuttle driver to you.”  
  
“Your name is Sonja,” Danny said. “You’ve been very kind to us. Very helpful. But we’ve been together for three years. It has nothing to do with you.”  
  
“There are Sonjas wherever you live,” she said too loudly. “You ignore them just like you did me.”  
  
“We try not to,” Danny said. “We try to treat everyone fairly. But that doesn’t mean we’d want to date anyone else.”  
  
“Sonja, you need to put down the gun,” Steve said evenly. “You don’t want to kill us.”  
  
“It’s too late,” Sonja said. “I’m already guilty.”  
  
“There’s no reason to hurt anyone else,” Danny said. “I have a daughter back home. Do you want to leave her without a father?”  
  
“You have a daughter?” Sonja asked, her gun less steady.  
  
“I do. She’s ten. She’s the light of my life. Would you like to see a picture of her?” Danny asked.  
  
“This is some kind of trick,” Sonja said, stiffening and raising her gun back level.  
  
“It’s not. I’m going to reach into my pocket for my phone. I’ll show you her picture,” Danny said, slowly lowering his hand to reach into his pants. He pulled out his phone, looking down at it while still keeping an eye on Sonja. “Here she is,” Danny said, turning his phone so Sonja could see Grace smiling up at her.  
  
“She’s so pretty,” Sonja said wistfully.  
  
“She is. This is her when she was first learning to surf,” Danny said, going to that picture. “And here she is playing baseball.”  
  
“You coach?” she asked, taking a tiny step closer.  
  
“I do,” Danny agreed, going to the next picture. “Steve does too.”  
  
“Steve. That’s your name?” Sonja asked, looking up at him.  
  
“It is,” Steve agreed. “This is Danny.”  
  
Sonja nodded, looking at Danny then Steve. “You’re the nicest guys I’ve killed.”  
  
“You aren’t going to kill us, Sonja. You’re going to give me the gun. And we’re going to see that you get the help you need,” Steve said, holding his hand out.  
  
She shook her head, backing up from them. “I can’t. I can’t go to jail.”  
  
“Sonja,” Danny said in coaxing. “Give us the gun. Let us help you.”  
  
She shook her head again, raising her gun. Steve launched himself at her as Danny tried to get to her left side. Neither of them succeeded in stopping her before she raised the gun to her own head and pull the trigger.  
  
She fell dead between them, Steve and Danny momentarily stunned.  
  
“You okay?” Steve finally whispered.  
  
“Yeah,” Danny responded, looking down at his shirt and pants. That was a huge mistake. The next few minutes were spent with him vomiting into the grass. Steve rubbed his back as he called 9-1-1 to report what had happened.  
  
“I’m sorry, D,” Steve said, trying to sooth Danny’s reaction. “I know it’s awful.”  
  
“She didn’t need to kill herself,” Danny said from where he was crouching at the edge of the grass.  
  
“She didn’t see any other way out,” Steve reminded him gently. “At least she won’t hurt anyone else.”  
  
“That’s good at least,” Danny had to agree. They stood and went into the parking lot when three police cars arrived. The officers spilled out of their cars, aiming their guns at Steve and Danny.  
  
“On the ground,” one of them ordered.  
  
“We called it in,” Steve said as they both went to their knees, their hands in the air. “She killed herself.”  
  
“She who?” the one who seemed to be in charge demanded as he approached, still pointing his gun directly at them.  
  
“Her name was Sonja,” Danny said, nodding his head toward where she lay on the pavement. “She was the serial killer.”  
  
“And you shot her?” the officer asked as three others approached the body.  
  
“She killed herself,” Steve said. “I’m Commander Steve McGarrett and this is Detective Danny Williams. We’re with Hawaii Five-0.”  
  
“You’re the ones who came to find the killer,” the officer said, holstering his gun.  
  
“We are,” Steve agreed. “Our badges are in our front left pockets.”  
  
The officer reached into Steve’s pocket, pulling out his badge. “Apologies, Commander, Detective. Stand down,” he said to the other officers who all holstered their guns. “Are you harmed?”  
  
“No,” Steve said, standing up and accepting the return of his badge. “She killed herself rather than shooting us.”  
  
“I’m Sergeant Howell,” the man said, extending his hand to shake Steve and Danny’s. “We’ll need your statement.”  
  
“Of course,” Steve said.  
  
“Before we come to the station, I’d really like to change clothes,” Danny said, intentionally not looking down at the blood staining his.  
  
“You can come tomorrow,” Sgt Howell said. “We’ll seal off the crime scene. Announce that the serial killer has been eliminated. The press is going to want to interview you.”  
  
Steve reluctantly nodded at that. “Understood. We’ll come to the station first thing in the morning. Then we’ll talk to the press.”  
  
“All right,” Howell agreed, watching the ambulance arrive. “Did she say why she’d done it?”  
  
“Jealousy,” Danny said sadly. “Thought we wouldn’t date her because we’re dating each other.”  
  
“Pity,” Howell said.  
  
“It is,” Danny agreed.  
  
~o0o~  
  
“All hail the conquering heroes,” Chin and Kono said when Steve and Danny returned to Five-0 headquarters. They had spent the next day in Vegas, giving their statement, talking to the press, eating as many free meals as they wanted, trying to refuse free vouchers from almost every hotel and casino, and finally arranging their return flight to Hawaii. They managed to spend an hour in the tub, enjoying the solitude and the quiet after their wild day.  
  
“It’s good to be back home,” Danny said, hugging them in turn and watching as Steve did the same. “We brought you presents.”  
  
“Presents?” Kono asked with an impish smile.  
  
“Yep,” Steve said, giving them both overflowing gift bags.  
  
“Wow, Boss. You went all out,” Kono said, emptying hers on the tech table and ignoring Chin’s frown.  
  
“Don’t give him too much credit, kid. Most of it was free,” Danny told her with a laugh.  
  
“I don’t care,” Kono said, putting on one of the visors and modeling for them. “Nice.”  
  
“And you’re both okay, right?” Chin asked, studying them with a critical eye.  
  
“We’re fine. I still see her firing her gun when I close my eyes,” Danny said sadly.  
  
“I’m sorry,” Kono said, a warm hand on his arm. “It’ll fade, right Boss?”  
  
“It does,” Steve agreed.  
  
“I know,” Danny said.  
  
“And next weekend we’re moving you into Steve’s?” Chin asked in an effort to lighten the mood.  
  
“Yes,” Danny sighed as though it was a burden. “Grace is thrilled.”  
  
“You are too. You just don’t want admit it,” Steve said, kissing Danny’s head.  
  
“Ohh…you’re so cute,” Kono said, retreating to her office before Steve could turn an evil eye toward her.  
  
“Cute,” Chin said with a nod, following Kono and closing her office door.  
  
“Finally,” Steve said, leaning down to kiss Danny properly. “That’s enough,” he yelled when Kono started cheering.  
  
“She’s not going to stop,” Danny told him with a smile.  
  
“I know. Not like I care,” Steve admitted, kissing him one last time before retreating to his own office to try and catch up. All he really wanted to do was go back home with Danny and get naked. Again. For the rest of their lives.


End file.
